De Coene Frères lounge chair Belgium 1950

Striking and super rare lounge chair designed by De Coene Frères, Courtrai Belgium in 1950s. This chair has a beech frame in a warm orange-brown hue. To maintain the authenticity of this piece, the cushions have been carefully reupholstered in an off-white boucle upholstery to their original shape and size. The wood is in sublime original condition. The design is unique as the armrests and frame seamlessly connect in an infinite loop creating an eye-catching visual effect. The seats appear to hang within the construction, giving the chair an airy feel. Even from the back its really elegant with a graphical appearance. Original drawings and publications related to the chair are available upon request.

Joseph François De Coene (1875-1950) was an entrepreneur from Courtrai who made a considerable contribution to the Flemish arts an crafts. He was the oldest son of the upholsterer Adolphe De Coene and Coralie Tavernier, a painter from Ghent, Coralie. In 1905 his brother Adolf and his brothers in law Arthur Deleu and Marcel Brunein joined the business, which they called ‘De Coene Frères’. The destruction of World War I resulted in a serious pent-up demand for joinery and carpentry. De Coene Frères quickly capitalized on this opportunity. Although the quick success, ambitions of Joseph De Coene reached higher. In 1921 he went with De win to the United States on a study tour.

Back home he developed a serial production of furniture in laminated wood and participated in international exhibitions: Milan, Paris, Roubaix, Brussels. The innovative furniture from their workshops received several prizes and medals! After some years the company rebranded itself to ‘ Kortrijkse Kunstwerkstede Gebroeders De Coene’. Just before World War II they employed almost 3.000 men and the ‘Kunstwerkstede’ was at the top of European wooden furniture production. The exuberant De Coene was an excellent networker. From 1922 to 1940 he opened up the doors of his house for their weekly ‘Monday Tables’.

Among the regular guests were not only regional friends like Stijn Streuvels, Willem Putman or Albert Saverys, but also Herman Teirlinck, August Vermeylen, Jef van Hoof and Henry van de Velde. The last one was sort like a spiritual father for the ‘Kunstwerkstede’ and he could regularly be found in their factory. At this place, De Coene also received international designers: Marcel Breuer, Harry Bertoia, Mies van der Rohe, or Eero Saarinen.

Like all our upholstered pieces these can also be newly upholstered to your admiration. Ask our experienced upholstery department for an affordable quote for the item you want customized. We only use the best quality fabrics, foam, and materials for all our items. With the reupholstery we will always keep the originality in mind so the piece doesn’t lose its value and will be ready for years of use again.